


doubt thou the stars are fire

by taeyongs (yifans)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, Polyamory, donghyuck crushes on norenmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 09:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17722931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yifans/pseuds/taeyongs
Summary: Donghyuck has had a crush on the three boys that sit at the back of his English class for the longest time. He's too oblivious to realize they like him back.





	doubt thou the stars are fire

     Donghyuck’s favourite class of the day was English class. It wasn’t for the assignments, or for the nice teacher that always encouraged him to do his best. It wasn’t for the book they were reading, though it was  _ amazing.  _ He liked all of those things about his class, but they weren’t why English class was his favourite. The reason, or rather,  _ reasons,  _ sat at the back of the classroom, taking up the row of desks even though there were only three of them. Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin.

 

     He didn’t know how to describe them. They were the class clowns, but they also had the highest marks in the class. Anything they did, whether it was a presentation, a skit, or an essay, had received them praise from the teacher. They were cool, and funny, and smart.

 

     And not to mention hot as  _ fuck.  _

 

     Never had he been more grateful that his school didn’t really have a dress code, because holy fuck. It hadn’t gotten too cold outside yet, so the three of them always wore muscle tees or oversized t-shirts that slipped off of their shoulders. Sometimes they’d show up in matching hoodies, or sometimes the three of them wear snapbacks showing off their foreheads. Donghyuck was once a man who didn’t salivate at the sight of a forehead, but now he didn’t hesitate.

 

     It also didn’t help that they were all really, really cute. They had the  _ prettiest  _ smiles. Donghyuck was in  _ love.  _

 

     So he didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing when he ended up in a group with them for their next project. When Ms. Viola called out his name, followed by Renjun’s, Jaemin’s, and Jeno’s, he thought it was a  _ joke.  _ But it occurred to him that he hadn’t so well the last unit, so maybe Ms. Viola was trying to help him rather than make him suffer. It certainly didn’t  _ feel  _ that way as he gathered up all of his things and headed to the back of the classroom, feeling like he was on death row with everyone watching him.

 

     “Hi,” Donghyuck said, plopping into the empty desk after Renjun moved his backpack. “I’m Donghyuck.”

 

     They all exchanged glances. 

 

     “We know,” Jeno said finally, offering him a sweet smile. Donghyuck returned it helplessly. “I don’t think we’ve ever worked together before.”

 

     “Looking forward to it,” Donghyuck said easily. “Do you guys think you know what you want to do the project on?”

 

     “What if we do it on the Elizabethan Era?” 

 

     “Like, Shakespeare’s time?”

 

     “I think that would be a good idea. We could talk about the housing. And of course, the Black Death.”

 

     “We could talk about the development in science and technology,” Donghyuck offered. They all beamed at it, and he almost choked. God, they were so pretty. He was malfunctioning. 

 

     “That’s a good idea. Then we can talk about medicine as well. Maybe fashion?” Renjun continued, jotting down their ideas. “We have to have a slideshow, but maybe we can just put pictures and additional information on it. I feel like it would be better if we memorized what we were talking about. Then it’ll show that we really know our topic.”

 

     “I’m gonna go tell Ms. Viola what we decided,” Jaemin said, getting up from his desk and heading to the front. Everyone looked at them in shock; they were the only ones who had decided on their topic. Jeno and Renjun begin outlining their presentation starting with an introduction, then history, housing, fashion, science, technology, and finally medicine. 

 

     “Wouldn’t it be cool if we dressed up like those doctors with the weird bird masks?” Donghyuck mumbles, mostly to himself as he browsed through photos on his phone. Silence followed. He looked up to see Jaemin, Renjun, and Jeno gaping at him.

 

     “We could use props!” Jaemin whisper-yelled. “Hyuckie, you’re a genius!”

 

     Donghyuck blushed and stuttered. He gave up and sunk low in his chair as his group mates talked excitedly about what they could do. Eventually they decided on the beak masks that the doctors used, a pocket watch, a beer bottle, blueprints for an airplane, and an Elizabethan style costume. It was decided that Donghyuck would wear the costume while Renjun, Jeno, and Jaemin would wear the masks and cloaks.

 

     “W-Why?” Donghyuck asked.

 

     Renjun gave him a weird look. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re the prettiest.”

 

     Donghyuck didn’t stop blushing for the rest of class.

  
  
  
  


     “So, Donghyuck.”

 

     Donghyuck jumped as Renjun yanked out the chair across him from under the cafeteria table. He sat down and peered at Donghyuck over his wireframe glasses. Donghyuck blinked back at him, confused.

 

     Renjun looked at the fruit cup he was eating. “That can’t be all you’re eating for lunch?”

 

     Donghyuck scooped up another cherry and stuck it in his mouth. “I didn’t have time to make myself lunch today.”

 

     “We can share mine, then,” Renjun said. He pulled out a pink and blue bento box from his bag and placed it on the table. He took off the top to reveal the  _ cutest _ lunch Donghyuck had ever seen. There were  _ rice  _ pandas. And a  _ duck.  _ And hot dog octopi. He handed Donghyuck a pair of metal chopsticks.

 

     “You don’t need to share with me!” Donghyuck protested. Renjun gave him another weird look and pulled off the pink part of the bento box, revealing another layer beneath with the same thing.

 

     “This is too much for me. If you don’t eat it, it will go to waste.” He slid the pink box across the table to Donghyuck and kept the blue one for himself. 

 

     “Thanks for the food!” Donghyuck beamed, picking up a slice of tonkatsu and shoving it into his mouth along with lettuce. His cheeks bulged and he sighed happily at the taste of savoury food instead of the overly sweet fruit cup. 

 

     Renjun looked at the duck made of rice, with its cute chubby cheeks, then looked at Donghyuck. 

 

     “This duck looks like you,” Renjun said idly. To his horror, Donghyuck shoved the duck’s head in his mouth before Renjun could even finish his sentence. Donghyuck stared at him, eyes wide.

 

     “This is really good,” Donghyuck said quickly after he swallowed it. “Did you make it?”

 

     “No, my little cousin Chenle did. He likes cooking, so.” Renjun shrugged, eating his own lunch slowly. Donghyuck shoveled more food in his mouth. He was  _ really  _ hungry, because he was running late and hadn’t been able to eat breakfast or pack a lunch. 

 

     He finished the food in record time, wiping his mouth with a napkin that Renjun handed him. He smiled gratefully, licking his lips again. Renjun packed away the bento box in his bag. He had only finished about half of his own serving.

 

     “Want some water?” Renjun asked, pulling out a glass water bottle with a bear face painted on it. He handed the bottle to Donghyuck before he could even answer. Donghyuck took a large gulp, careful not to let any trickle down his chin lest he look like a fool.

 

     Renjun took the bottle back, drinking out of it himself. Donghyuck watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, but all he could think about was the fact that his mouth was on the lip of the bottle not ten seconds ago. Renjun wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

 

     “Oh yeah. Jeno, Jaemin, and I are going over to Jaemin’s house to work on the project. Think you’ll be able to swing by?”

 

     “Um. Text me the address and I’ll see if I can make it?” Donghyuck’s parents worked late most nights, and he wasn’t able to drive yet, so unless he could figure out how to bus there, he wouldn’t be able to go if Jaemin lived far from him. 

 

     “You never gave me your number,” Renjun said with a little smile. Donghyuck almost smacked himself. “Here, give me your phone.”

 

     Without even thinking about it, Donghyuck unlocked his phone and handed it over. Renjun spent a few minutes typing before he was satisfied, shoving the phone back into Donghyuck’s hands. Donghyuck went through his contacts and found three new ones.  _ Injunnie. Jeno. Nana. _

 

     “I texted myself so I have your number. I’ll send you Nana’s address.” Renjun stood up from the table, tucking his chair in and slinging his bag over his shoulder. “See you around. Have fun in History.”

 

     Donghyuck stared at the new contacts. He’d gotten all three of his crushes’ numbers in the span of a lunch period. He sat there in shock until the bell rang, then he made a mad dash for the third floor.

 

     He slid into his chair, two minutes late and breathless, and by the time he had taken out his notebook, class had already started. It was only when they began answering textbook questions did Donghyuck wonder how Renjun knew what class he had next.

  
  
  


 

     It turned out Jaemin only lived thirty minutes away from Donghyuck’s on foot. As long as he didn’t leave too late, Donghyuck didn’t mind the lengthy walk home. It definitely beat trying to figure out the city’s complicated bus system, and he didn’t have the money to pay for a cab.

 

     He met up with the trio after school. Specifically, they were waiting at his locker when he got out of his last locker. He almost dropped his stuff when he saw them. He didn’t remember telling them where his locker was, but it completely slipped his mind when Jeno caught sight of him and waved eagerly.

 

     “Hi, Hyuckie! How was Chemistry?” Jeno asked brightly.

 

     “It was good. How’d you know I have Chemistry last period?” Donghyuck replied as he opened his locker. His question went unanswered as Jeno began babbling about his own class. From what Donghyuck could tell, he was excited because he had gotten a perfect score on his lab report. 

 

     “A perfect score?” Donghyuck asked, eyes wide. “Wow, that’s amazing! You’re so smart.”

 

      Jeno looked at him with wide eyes, then opened the closest locker and shoved his face into it. Renjun and Jaemin burst into laughter. Donghyuck was hopelessly confused. He grabbed his English notebook and stuffed it into his bag before slamming his locker shut.

 

     “Take your face out of the locker, sunshine,” Jaemin coaxed, trying to get Jeno to pull his face out.

 

     “No,” Jeno said, but he listened anyway. When he finally emerged from the locker. his face was completely red.

 

     “Oh, Jeno, your face is so flushed. Are you feeling okay?” Donghyuck said worriedly. “I think I have some Tylenol in my bag.”

 

     “Jeno’s not sick, don’t worry,” Jaemin said, slinging his arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders. “Well, not the sick you’re thinking of. Forget it, let’s go to mine. Are you hungry?”

 

     “Not really, Renjun shared his lunch with me today,” Donghyuck replied. He smiled brightly. Jaemin covered his eyes for a second and groaned loudly. Donghyuck’s smile faded. “Are you okay?”

 

     “I’m fine,” Jaemin mumbled, pulling his hand away. Donghyuck’s stomach growled, breaking the weird tension. Jaemin laughed. “I thought you said you weren’t hungry.”

 

     Donghyuck blushed. “I like to eat.”

 

     “Let’s make nachos at Nana’s house,” Jeno said happily. He took Donghyuck’s hand in his own and dragged him through the side door, leaving the others behind. Donghyuck was too flustered to take his hand away, so they ended up holding hands all the way to the parking lot. Donghyuck wanted to scream.

 

     “There’s my mom,” Jaemin said, pointing at a beat up Toyota. 

 

     “Your mom?” Donghyuck said nervously, patting at his clothes and hair.

 

     “Yeah she’s gonna drop us off at mine before she goes out to dinner with my dad,” Jaemin explained with a grin. He pulled open the door to the passenger side and climbed in. Jeno and Renjun clambered inside, leaving Donghyuck to scramble after them.

 

     “Mom, this is Donghyuck. He’s coming over to work on an English project. We’re gonna make nachos, is that okay?”

 

     “Hi, Donghyuck, nice to meet you! Aren’t you a cutie?”

 

     “Mom,” Jeno complained. Donghyuck died a little inside. Jeno called Jaemin’s mom ‘Mom’. That was so cute. Their friendship was cute.  _ They  _ were cute. He was not going to survive this. 

 

     They spent the whole ride discussing how they were going to make the bird masks. Donghyuck and Jeno wanted to use cardboard or bristol board. Jaemin and Renjun wanted to use papier-mâché. 

 

     “That’s too heavy,” Donghyuck complained. “You guys won’t be able to breathe. If we make it out of bristol board it’ll be really light.”

 

     “Papier-mâché will look cooler though.”

 

     “Living looks cooler,” Jeno snapped, and that was that. Jaemin’s mom told them to stop arguing and get the hell out of her car. Donghyuck gaped at Jaemin’s house. It was  _ nice.  _ A nice boy gets a nice house, Donghyuck thought mournfully. 

 

     “Bye Mom!”

 

     “Bye Mommy!"

 

     “Have fun with Dad.”

 

     “Bye Mrs. Na.”

 

     Renjun grabbed Donghyuck’s hand and led him up the porch steps. Donghyuck was flustered. Why did everyone keep holding his hand? Renjun didn’t let go of his hand as they kicked off their shoes and headed straight into the kitchen.

 

     “I don’t…know how to cook,” Donghyuck admitted as Jaemin and Jeno started pulling ingredients out of the fridge and pantry respectively. 

 

     “Oh, don’t worry. This recipe is pretty easy. Nana, do you have shredded cheese?”

 

     “I don’t think so. The grater is in that drawer right there. No, the one next to it. Hyuck, wanna chop up these tomatoes?”

 

     “I don’t know how,” Donghyuck said, feeling more and more embarrassed. Jaemin came over and lifted Donghyuck onto the counter. Donghyuck gasped and clutched onto his arms.

 

     “Just sit here then.” Jaemin smiled brightly at him and grabbed a cutting board and a knife. He handed them to Renjun, who began dicing them with ease. Donghyuck felt a little bad that he wasn’t doing more to help, but he enjoyed watching them. 

 

     Donghyuck swung his legs back and forth and chatted about his day. He ended up going into a long rant about the stupid kids in his History class. Jaemin, Renjun, and Jeno laughed at him as they put the nachos in the oven.

 

     “C’mon,” Jeno said, grabbing both of Donghyuck’s hands as he hopped off the counter. “These will take a bit to bake. We can go get started on the project in Jaemin’s room. It’s upstairs.”

 

     Donghyuck nodded and followed them upstairs. Jaemin’s room was  _ huge.  _ He had a queen-sized bed, a large desk with a MacBook Air and graphic tablet lying around, and a TV with at least three gaming systems. It must be nice to be rich.

 

     Jaemin plopped on the bed, and Renjun and Jeno followed suit. Donghyuck hesitated, but Renjun grabbed his arm and tugged him down. They could fit all four of them on the bed, though it was a bit of a tight fit. Donghyuck broke out in a sweat at being in such close proximity with his crushes. Next time, he was going to crush on only  _ one  _ person, so he wouldn’t have to suffer like this.

 

     “So Donghyuck,” Renjun began. Donghyuck looked up at him questioningly. “How long have you liked us for?”

 

     Donghyuck froze. His heart lurched into his throat and he rolled onto the floor and slid underneath the bed. There weren’t even dust bunnies or a lone sock, that was how clean it was. 

 

     “Why are you hiding under the bed?” Jaemin asked. He was hanging upside down so he could peer underneath, his hair falling and showing off that beautiful, beautiful forehead. Donghyuck whimpered.

 

     “Can’t hurt me from here,” Donghyuck muttered.

 

     “Can’t kiss you either,” Jeno’s voice came cheerfully from somewhere above the bed. Donghyuck quietly panicked. “Come out so we can kiss your pretty face.”

 

     He took a deep breath. “Okay.”

 

     Donghyuck slid out from underneath the bed and barely stood on two feet before Jeno grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed, clumsily pressing their lips together. Donghyuck felt like he was going to faint. This had to be a dream. 

 

     But Jeno’s hands on his cheeks were warm, and his lips were soft. He could feel the weight of Renjun’s and Jaemin’s stares, and he could feel Jaemin’s hands when they crept up his shirt to splay across his hip bones. He gasped into Jeno’s mouth. Jeno smiled into the kiss.

 

     Donghyuck was going to  _ die.  _

 

     Renjun kissed the back of his neck and Donghyuck shivered. Jaemin tightened his grip on Donghyuck’s hips, pulling him backwards until Donghyuck was seated in his lap. Jeno got up on his knees so they could keep kissing, angling Donghyuck’s face upwards.

 

     When they finally broke apart, Donghyuck just stared, dazed and breathless. Jeno’s lips were swollen and pink, matching the blush sitting high on his cheeks. Donghyuck felt a rush of possessiveness. He  _ did that.  _

 

     “We’ve liked you for  _ so long.  _ You’re so cute I thought I was going to die,” Jaemin said, happily playing with Donghyuck’s hair. Donghyuck blushed and shoved his face into Jaemin’s pillow. It smelled like coconuts.

 

     “Why didn’t you say anything?” Donghyuck asked, muffled by the fabric.

 

     “We weren’t sure if you liked us too,” Renjun said. He patted his hip. “Come on, I heard the timer go off. The nachos are ready.”

 

     Jaemin and Renjun jump off the bed and run out the door. Donghyuck laughed when he heard them thudding down the stairs. He scrambled to join them, but Jeno grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to kiss him sweetly once more.

 

     “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” Jeno beamed and ran past him. Donghyuck heard Renjun screaming at him in the kitchen moments later and smiled to himself.

 

     He could definitely get used to this.

 

 

     “There is no way I’m wearing that.”

 

     Donghyuck gaped in horror at the Elizabethan era style dress that Jaemin was holding up. It was simple but classy, with a long skirt and puffy sleeves. Donghyuck knew he was going to be wearing a costume, but he didn’t think it’d be a  _ dress.  _

 

     “A dress was easier than making a shirt, coat, and pants,” Renjun said with a shrug. Donghyuck almost hit him.

 

     “But I can’t wear a dress!”

 

     “Injunnie worked really hard on it, though,” Jeno pouted. “And besides, we don’t have time to make another costume. Our presentation is tomorrow.”

 

     “But-but why can’t you wear the dress?!” Donghyuck exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the three of them.

 

     “We’re gonna be wearing the masks!” Jeno picked up one of their bird-like masks, made of bristol board and painted black. 

 

     “Why can’t  _ I  _ wear the mask?”

 

     “Because,” Jaemin said exasperatedly, “you’re the prettiest, so you have to wear the dress!”

 

     Donghyuck’s heart stuttered. He ended up wearing the dress. 


End file.
